Queensland government silent over Wild Rivers Act

Tony Koch; 20/4/10

The Queensland government yesterday refused to release a report on how it had failed to analyse the benefits of declaring some Cape York rivers “wild” and putting them off limits to much development. A Senate committee is investigating Queensland’s Wild Rivers Act following the introduction into federal parliament of a private member’s bill by Tony Abbott to overturn the state law. The Opposition Leader said he took the action because the legislation impinged on the rights of Aboriginal people in Cape York and was introduced without their approval or proper consultation. Written submissions to the Senate committee contain evidence now posted on its website, including that the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management advised bauxite miner Cape Alumina “that there has been no attempt to properly analyse the public policy benefits of declaring the area (sought to be mined) a wild river”.